


Needs and Wants (or, Five Lists John Made During his First Year in the Pegasus Galaxy)

by Welfycat



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: mundane_bingo, Gen, five things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-28
Updated: 2010-11-28
Packaged: 2017-10-13 10:44:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/136455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Welfycat/pseuds/Welfycat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John thinks about what Atlantis needs</p>
            </blockquote>





	Needs and Wants (or, Five Lists John Made During his First Year in the Pegasus Galaxy)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Mundane Bingo. Prompt: Making Lists  
> General Spoilers for Season One

1\. John started his lists months before the Daedalus arrived, months before he’d even thought that the SGC might actually try and send someone when the expedition still hadn’t contacted Earth. At first, they’d been lists of things they’d forgotten to take with them, though John couldn’t figure out how they’d manage to forget anything when it seemed like they’d been planning the expedition months before John ever saw the weapons platform in Antarctica.

Things like a way to grow food of their own from the get-go, and things that they could trade with other populations in return for food quickly came to the forefront of John’s mind when he wrote these lists, his pen tip pressing deep into the pad of paper. Nuclear warheads were something else John added to the list before too long, though he was still a little wary about the idea of sending a nuke through a wormhole to somewhere that they didn’t want to bomb. McKay had, with his hands flying through the air as he talked, given John a long-winded lecture about why it was completely safe, and much safer than taking a nuke on a plane or any other foolhardy thing that John might have done on Earth. John had just nodded through most of the science parts; following more than McKay probably expected, but John kept that to himself.

2\. His next list was written on the computer and comprised of things that they’d needed to pack more of; with pens and paper right at the top. Coffee had been added immediately after that, though it wasn’t for John in that it was for keeping the scientists happy and functional; which really did make it for John after all. More marines, more ammo, more weapons, and more tac-vests were all added to that list without much ado. Basically, everything they went off-world with, including radios, backpacks and their uniforms were in short supply; things tended to get left behind by teams when they’d been captured or were running for their lives.

3\. It wasn’t too long before John started another list, this one of ‘wants’ rather than things that they really needed. Things like dvds, comfortable flip flops, and a surfboard were at the top, but John found that this list started to center less around things that he wanted and more what he noticed everyone else missing. When he saw a scientist bobbing her head to music only she could hear, he added mp3 players and a music library to the list. When he saw Zelenka’s hair he added hair gel, even though he didn’t know if Zelenka would use it even if they’d had some. When McKay fell asleep with his face on his keyboard he added cots and pillows for the labs; it was easier to get sleepy physicists to go a few feet to a cot than it was to drag them all the way back to their quarters.

4\. Elizabeth was why John started his fourth list, titled things they wanted but couldn’t possible have. At first, he couldn’t figure out what it was that she was looking for when Elizabeth would look down went she walked through doors, or would check her chair before sitting down. It wasn’t until he saw the picture of a retriever tucked away in her quarters that he put it all together. Along with Elizabeth’s dog, he added McKay’s cat, Ford’s grandparents and a ferris wheel for himself. This list took longer to compile and existed only in his head, adding to it as he slowly learned things about the other expedition members that they’d never say out loud.

5\. John started his last list while running through Atlantis and trying to stay a few steps ahead of Kolya. Part of his mind concentrated on each item, thinking it through carefully before deciding to add it or discard, while the rest bubbled under the surface. Tactically, this was the way he worked the best, not letting the conscious part of his mind interfere and letting his instincts guide him down the right path; trusting that he knew more than he thought he possibly could. This had only failed him once, but he didn’t let himself think about that.

This list was of things that seemed like wants but were actually needs. Gym equipment and nerf guns to let the marines blow off steam came to mind first as he dashed from room to room, listening intently for any sound of the Genii. Laser tag would be absolutely awesome in Atlantis, but that would probably be more expensive than the SGC would be willing to spring for.

John added a reading library for Elizabeth and some of the other soft sciences when he snuck through a large atrium on the south edge of the city. Somewhere were they could sit and be reminded of home while they looked out over the peaceful waters, even though the water outside was the exact opposite of peaceful at the moment.

As John crouched away in a small compartment, like a child playing hide and seek, he added larger mattresses, thick blankets and soft pillows. He thought about McKay, always touching one hand to his mid-back with a wince of pain, and Ford curled up off-world, so much like a kid on a camping trip that John wanted to take away the gun by Ford’s side in order to keep him safe. After all they did to keep everyone on Atlantis safe, they deserved to have somewhere safe and comfortable to sleep at night.

 

After the Wraith finished their attack and went away, leaving everyone shaking and grateful, John delivered his lists, all but the one of impossible things, to Elizabeth. She had looked over them, both touched and surprised, and offered John one of her rare genuine smiles. John had just ducked his head, mumbling something about thinking it was a good idea before fleeing Elizabeth’s office. He knew that his lists would get to where they needed to go.

**Author's Note:**

> This work and others can also be found on my Dreamwidth fandom account: [Needs and Wants](http://welfycat.dreamwidth.org/5804.html)


End file.
